The Handmaid's Tale: The Crossing (4x03)

Too much? Yeah, maybe a tad.

Cons:

Like. We've got Handmaids dying via train. We've got Marthas pushed off buildings. We've got extreme physical and psychological torture. The thing that's brilliant about The Handmaid's Tale is how the society is structured like... a society, where people live "normal" "lives" and by that I mean they are terrified all the time, but they've also grown into routines. But by this point in the show, it seems like Gilead will do literally anything, including shooting a bunch of Handmaids as they try to flee, despite just saying that keeping them alive was the top priority. It's all over the top to the point where I think it shoots the moon, just a little. I'm horrified, yes, and I know I'm meant to be... but I'm also just drained past the point of coherent appreciation for what the show is trying to do.

The Handmaid's Tale: Nightshade (4x02)

Well dang!

Cons:

I honestly can't think of anything, other than maybe a slight lack of subtlety, which I mentioned in the last review as well. This show can get away with being in your face, but every once in a while it tips itself over the line juuuust slightly. The example I'm thinking of this week is the one where June is poisoning everybody in the brothel while music plays. Her maniacal expression as she becomes a crime boss lady... I don't know. Laying it on a little thick. Gilead makes it hard to be good. We get it.

Also just... logistically, I wish the ending of this one had been a little clearer. Are Janine and Esther and the others... dead? Taken? Nick is there, trying to protect June, but we don't know the fates of the other characters. I get it as a plot hook, but it made the ending of this specific episode a little muddied. The impact of Nick being there was lessened because I was thinking about the other characters, wondering at their fates.

The Handmaid's Tale: Pigs (4x01)

Well, we're back! I'm going to do three short reviews, one for each episode that dropped, instead of trying to cover everything at once. I haven't seen episodes 2 and 3 yet, so I'll be judging this as a stand-alone.

Cons:

I honestly thought that June calling Esther "Banana" at the end was a bit confusing. For one wild moment I thought they were implying that June that Esther was Hannah or something? It's just weird since the nickname "Banana" goes with "Hannah" specifically. I get the implication, but it was kind of odd the way they went about it, ending the episode on that note.

I'm sure we'll get this in the coming two episodes or as the season progresses, but I kept waiting for someone to explain why they were staying there and not continuing to flee to Canada. Is it just for June to recuperate? Will they be on the road now?

Grey's Anatomy: Good as Hell (17x13)

Lots of stuff happening, as always!

Cons:

I want to loop back in on the whole idea of Jo starting a new discipline. I didn't mind the stuff in this episode, about Bailey not wanting to let her go because they need her during the pandemic. But seeing it made me realize how poorly they set up the stakes earlier on. I didn't understand that that was the issue, or what was making Jo so nervous. I wish this had been paced better throughout the last several episodes.

I will repeat myself: I don't care about Teddy. Teddy's freak-out, Owen's compassionate response... I know I should care, but I do not. Please stop wasting my time with this.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: One World, One People (1x06)

Oof, okay, so I obviously enjoyed watching this, but I do have some things I would like to discuss.

Cons:

The biggest one is honestly about Isaiah. I understand that this is a superhero show, and there's some cheesiness baked into the very concept of it. I like the idea of a triumphant ending for our heroes, where amends are made and everyone is brought some measure of peace. BUT, I feel like a more nuanced, more true to reality ending here with Isaiah might have been different. Maybe he gives a tip of the hat to Sam, says he's happy he's found his peace, but he still doesn't agree with his choices. See, the thing is, some people who have been hurt by systems want that system to acknowledge its mistake, to apologize, to make amends. That's what Sam is pushing for. He believes we can do better, and all that. And that's a wonderful perspective. But other people who have been hurt by systems might not want anything to do with that system ever again. At the end, when Sam sets up the part of the museum for Isaiah, he says "now everyone will know what you did for this country," and Isaiah seemed pleased and touched by this. But I couldn't help but think... he was forced into doing those things, and then punished for doing them. If he'd decided he didn't want acknowledgment, didn't want to be linked to the idea of American heroism... I couldn't blame him for that. It might have added more nuance to the ending. Sam could have even said that it's okay if he and Isaiah don't agree on the best way forward, they still have mutual respect, or whatever.

Grey's Anatomy: Sign O' the Times (17x12)

Some heavy stuff, y'all. It's interesting how this show is addressing current events but on a delay because that's how TV works... really brings some things to the forefront of my mind that unfortunately the news isn't much focused on anymore.

Cons:

I found some of the story beats surrounding Bailey's patient to be a little clumsy. He's cartoonish and cruel to Bailey. I could buy someone not believing in COVID (believe me, I've met some of those people), but for him to literally say to his doctor's face: you're lying to me and you're making money off of scaring people? It felt a little too blunt, like this man was meant to represent every little aspect of that kind of human being. And then for him to die in the parking lot? Not exactly subtle.

I'm always talking about how I don't like Catherine Fox, and this episode actually helped me in articulating why. It's like she always traps people into providing her mic drop moments. She doesn't communicate, she dismisses people's concerns and ideas, goading them into a situation where they speak to her rudely. Then she turns around and hits them with the cold hard facts of how she was right all along. And like... Catherine is right, and has a good point, when she talks about fighting the way she knows how to fight. But why does she always have to have the last word? Why does she always have to say things in this righteous way, that doesn't allow room for anyone else's opinion?

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Truth (1x05)

Well, okay then.

Cons:

I've complained about the uneven time given to Sam and Bucky, and while I appreciate where this episode went with everything, it did shine a further light on how little Sam has had to do all season. How his growth has been happening in the background to other things. I wish the balance could have been changed a little. 

I also continue to be less interested in the Flag Smashers than I am in anything else in the show. Not the ideology or how they function politically in this world, but the actual individual characters. Spending time getting to know them makes sense, it humanizes their struggles and what they're willing to sacrifice for their cause. But I just don't find Karli to be a particularly compelling individual, so it makes those scenes a slough to get through.

The opening fight scene between Sam, Bucky, and John Walker was good, but it wasn't great. The whole time I was watching it I kept thinking about the Tony/Steve/Bucky fight at the end of Civil War, three men fighting, the shield pinging between them. So much angst and desperation and history and weight to the whole thing. This fight should have been like that, but instead it felt a little more measured. Sam and Bucky are fighting to take the shield away from a dangerous man who has clearly lost control. It almost felt like they were just doing a job. Their connection to the shield was muted during the fight itself, which made that final beat, when Bucky throws the shield down at Sam's side and walks off, hit a little less hard.

Grey's Anatomy: Sorry Doesn't Always Make It Right (17x11)

This one is going to be quick, sorry.

Cons:

While I am glad, in theory, that Owen apologized to Teddy, I'm still... frustrated by the way Teddy's trauma has been worked into the story. Owen says he should have known that Teddy sleeping with Tom was a sign that something was wrong because it was "so out of character" for her not to be there for him, and be a good friend to him. But... he also says he'd love to hear more about Allison. Again, Teddy was cheating when she was with Allison, too. This was before the trauma that led to her having all these symptoms that cause her to betray people. So really... Teddy participating in adultery is not "out of character" at all. That's the whole point and the whole problem with how all of this is being framed!!!

A more petty complaint is that while I really like Amelia and Link, for some reason this story gave me more secondhand embarrassment than usual! I was cringing during a lot of their scenes. Especially the proposal thing. And Amelia's vocal fry was really pronounced. This is not a knock on the actor's voice, I just think she sounded like maybe she was more tired than usual? Which could have been an acting choice, I was just... really noticing it.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: The Whole World Is Watching (1x04)

Well, uh... shit. Whole review under the cut for spoilers.

The Walking Dead: Here's Negan (10x22)

So, that's the end of the season, then. Let's talk about it!

Cons:

On a bigger level, I will say that I was right, that this season built to absolutely nothing. It's almost like the Whisperers were the Season 10 A-plot, and these last few episodes after the long hiatus were about cleaning up the aftermath and setup for next season or even for spin-offs. And that's... weird. It means I can look at an individual episode and think it's perfectly interesting or even excellent, but I feel no sense of momentum. I'm reading short stories instead of a novel, you know? Different experiences. Less good, in my opinion. At least with this show.

But if we take this episode on its own merits and don't think about how it (doesn't) connect to the rest of the show... I really did enjoy it. But there were certainly some issues. The main one? Lucille has a bad case of "dying perfect wife" syndrome. She's beautiful and strong and brave and if she gets angry it's because Negan is failing to live up to her angelic standard. I wish that sad dead wife characters, learned about through flashback and dreams, could have some actual nuance. Could be someone with a personality and flaws. Lucille was too much of a Cool Wife for me to feel like she was a real person.

Grey's Anatomy: Breathe (17x10)

Well, this was stressful.

Cons:

Okay, I loved seeing Lexie and Mark in theory, but I have to be brutally honest and say that this is the first time that Meredith's dreamscape beach scenes tipped over into too saccharine for me. I think it's because Lexie and Mark both seemed like guardian angels, only there for Meredith, and they didn't really make me remember the fully developed characters. It wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it wasn't my favorite of the cameos.

When Catherine asked Jo if she was thinking about switching specialties and Jo had this weird reaction, that felt like an awkward script moment to me. Too over the top and noticeable of a reaction to such an innocuous question.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Power Broker (1x03)

I think this is my least favorite of the three episodes thus far, but by no means did I think it was bad or unworthy of its place in the series.

Cons:

Honestly, the reason it wasn't quite as strong for me is... Sam Wilson felt like a side character. The first two episodes felt more or less evenly split between Sam and Bucky as the drivers of the action, the ones with the complicated emotional stakes. In this episode, Bucky was definitely the lead, and Sam definitely took a more supporting role. I guess, at the end of the day, I hope Sam gets an episode before the end that feels like his moment to shine.

I'm predictable in saying this, but the thing I care about the least so far is the actual plot. So the time we spend with Karli Morgenthau is not really inclined to hold my interest. Similarly, the stuff with John Walker isn't as gripping to me unless it's butting up against Sam and Bucky. Really, I want the focus to remain on those two and their relationship and the big questions they're facing moving in the world given their unique positions.